Rescue Me
by readbetweenthesigns
Summary: A Quick look at how the knife scene and the tutoring scene in Season 3 could have worked out differently.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: No claim of ownership towards Glee, the characters, Daughtry or the song 'Rescue Me'.**

**A/N: Senior year, getting into fights, failing classes, not making the grades to graduate, someone needs to listen to the plea and do something to help. Someone possibly will.**

Puck hauled himself from the dumpster, bleeding, battered and bruised. The crowd circling him and his nemesis chanted his name, mocked him. Puck knew that he was going down but he wasn't going to give up without a fight. From his pocket he pulled out something shiny, dangerous…..

Coach Beiste shoved Puck into the locker room ahead of her. "How could you be so stupid?" she yelled at Puck. "I don't care if it's fake. The fact that you're carrying a knife of any sort is _beyond_ stupid," she shook her head in disgust. "You know what, Puckerman?" she stared straight into his hurt, angry eyes. "You don't have to live this life, you can make things better. You can make _you _better. You have the tools, you just need to want to use them, need to want to make it work. It's not too late to ask for help, I know a few people out there," Coach indicated the halls of McKinley with a nod of her head, "who would do anything to help you to succeed. They're your friends, they love you. Let them help you."

Puck watched Coach's retreating back, his jaw clenching and unclenching in time with his fists opening and closing at his sides, his eyes bright with tears he refused to allow to fall. He knew she was right. Coach Beiste was always right, well, who was ever going to argue with _that_ Badass Mama? Puck knew he was going to have to ask his Glee-mates to help him out. He didn't want to do to Beth what his dad had just done to him. What sort of a loser dad does that? Ignores the fact that you're alive for ten or fifteen years then turns up and asks you for money. _Asshole._

Puck sighed heavily and took himself off to the auditorium. He needed to get himself straight first before he went to beg for help. He couldn't have the others seeing him like this. The only person in the whole school who had ever seen him with tears in his eyes, besides Coach Beiste today, was Quinn. He couldn't let the others see him like that, he couldn't lose his badass, hard man rep, not like he'd lost everything else. Not like he'd lost Quinn, Beth, the chance to be a family.

On stage, guitar in hand, eyes closed, Puck could imagine a different scene before him than the empty seats of the dark auditorium. He started playing softly, releasing the emotions, the words he wanted to say to her but couldn't. The words he needed to say to her but daren't. He'd already ruined her life once before, he couldn't take the chance that he'd screw everything up for her again. Better for her to go to her fancy college and for them to part as friends. Puck knew he'd never love anyone else as he loved her but she didn't know that. Better that she never know that.

"Our story's old,  
Older than the wind,  
It's been this sad for years,  
How can we pretend,  
When we all know just how it's gonna end

Rescue me,  
In the middle of the ocean,  
Crashing down, it's always hard to breathe,  
Some say its easier to give up on it,  
I say it's time to rescue me

Lost and lonely people staring back,  
Afraid to try,  
Some of them here, the same as you and I,  
The differences are all but left behind,

So I need you now

Rescue me,  
In the middle of the ocean,  
Crashing down, it's always hard to breathe,  
Some say its hard to make the changes,  
Rescue me and I'll never be the same,

Rescue me,  
In the middle of my darkest hour,  
Time will tell,  
I never really had the power,  
Some say it's easier to give up on it,  
I say its time to rescue me

We gotta get out,  
How foolish have we been  
To say it's all been a waste of time?  
We may lose, and we may win,  
But like the sun we will rise again.

But until then

Rescue me,  
In the middle of the ocean,  
Crashing down, it's always hard to breathe,  
Some say its hard to make the changes,  
Rescue me and I'll never be the same,

Rescue me,  
In the middle of my darkest hour,  
Time will tell,  
I never really had the power,  
Some say it's easier to give up on it,  
I say its time to rescue me,

Rescue me,  
In the middle of the ocean."

Puck blew out a deep breath and left the stage, head down. Now he could ask for help. Now he could let his friends see him, he knew he could get through it without losing it. Now that he'd got the emotion out.

Puck never saw the lonely figure hunched low in the dark, in the back seats of the auditorium where she'd been hiding for the past hour wondering how she was going to live without seeing him everyday. He didn't know how much his song had touched her, how long she'd prayed for him to feel the way about her as she did about him. She stood and made her way to the choir room, she had an offer to make, she had someone to rescue. And she thanked God for the chance to do it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: No claim to ownership of Glee, the characters, the recognisable scenes, Daughtry or their song, Start of Something Good.**

**A/N: Thank you to Chloe, Quickgirl75, misguided ghost 777 and guest. I really appreciate that you're taking the time to read my work and I'm feeling a lot closer to returning to my other current pieces. **

Well, duh! Why did she _think _his brain was a roach motel? Nothing to do with her smooth, silky, soft arm reaching over his shoulder, pointing at the atlas on the desk. Nothing to do with her delicate, unique perfume invading his nostrils. Nothing to do with the fact that the only other times he'd been in this room with her they'd spent all of that time on the bed behind him. And she thought he could concentrate on _geography_? Get real.

Puck stood up abruptly, sighing. He heard himself telling Quinn not to worry, he'd manage without her efforts, she'd still get her Brownie patch.

"I'm not doing this for a patch," Quinn replied, quickly as he walked toward the door. "I'm here because I love you." she revealed almost breathlessly.

Puck's step faltered. He slowly turned to face the girl he'd been in love with for over three years. He studied her face, looked into her eyes, wanting desperately to believe her. Puck sat down heavily on her bed and apologised for how he'd behaved throughout their time at school together, he apologised for a lot of stuff but most of all he apologised for ever hurting her. He still didn't want to tie her to him, have her feel she _had_ to help him, he didn't want her pity.

Quinn's encouraging words, extolling all that he had achieved whether good deeds or idiotic stunts during all the time they'd known each other, wormed their way into his brain, chasing out the roaches. Quinn leant towards him, her voice soft, gentle, her lips aiming for his. Puck knew he had to give her another chance to escape, he turned his head.

"I'm not worth it," he murmured, praying she would tell him that he was. "Save it for all those Yale dudes," even though it would break his heart if she did.

"There's no one who deserves this more," Quinn's whisper was so quiet that he almost missed it as her hand cupped his cheek, bringing his lips to hers.

Puck, ever the sex shark, couldn't help his slightly cheesy reply. "I guess it'd be rude to refuse," he murmured as their lips met for the first time since he'd told Quinn of his brief, idiotic fling with Shelby Corcoran. Their kiss went on and on. Kiss merged into kiss, touch merged into touch and so much more…

Puck walked with purpose, with intent down the hall towards his geography class, his test re-sit, his last chance. The expression on his face pure 'Puckzilla', confidence at an all time high. His thoughts almost readable. "Yep, I _am _the dude. I got the knowledge, I got the power, I got the girl." Puck entered the class and sat down, pencil at the ready. Bring it on.

"I know this is almost the last Glee class of the year," Puck said as he entered the choir room after his geography test, "but do you think there's time for me to sing one more song? Please?"

"You found time to get a song ready as well as studying for your geography test?" Finn asked, his eyes wide with amazement.

"I've had this one ready for a while," Puck admitted. "I just had to wait for the right time to sing it," he said with a smile towards Quinn. "I really hope this is the time. Here goes, " he said as he picked up his guitar and spoke quietly to the band. Puck took the centre of the room once more.

"You never know when you're gonna meet someone  
And your whole wide world in a moment comes undone  
You're just walking around and suddenly  
Everything that you thought that you knew about love is gone  
You find out it's all been wrong

And all my scars don't seem to matter anymore  
Cause they led me here to you

I know that its gonna take some time  
I've got to admit that the thought has crossed my mind  
This might end up like it should  
And I'm gonna say what I need to say  
And hope to God that it don't scare you away  
Don't wanna be misunderstood  
But I'm starting to believe that this could be the start of something good

Everyone knows life has its ups and downs  
One day you're on top of the world and one day you're the clown  
Well I've been both enough to know  
That you don't wanna get in the way when its working out  
The way that it is right now

You see my heart I wear it on my sleeve  
Cause I just can't hide it anymore

I know that it's gonna take some time  
I've got to admit that the thought has crossed my mind  
This might end up like it should  
And I'm gonna say what I need to say  
And hope to God that it don't scare you away  
Don't wanna be misunderstood  
But I'm starting to believe that this could be the start

Cause I don't know where it's going  
There's a part of me that loves not knowing  
Just don't let it end before we begin

You never know when you're gonna meet someone  
And your whole wide world in a moment comes undone

I know that its gonna take some time  
I've got to admit that the thought has crossed my mind  
This might end up like it should  
And I'm gonna say what I need to say  
And hope to God that it don't scare you away  
Don't wanna be misunderstood  
But I'm starting to believe  
Oh I'm starting to believe that this could be the start of something good"

Puck's eyes landed on the one person everyone in the room knew he was singing to. He caught her shy, hidden half smile. Quinn looked up through her lashes, her breath catching in her throat as she bit her lip. She stood and walked over to him as he stood waiting, swallowing hard.

"You know what, Puckerman?" Quinn whispered as she threw her arms round his neck. "You got this," she said just before she drew his lips to hers. Around them they could both hear the rest of the Glee club cheering and clapping as Puck's arms circled her waist. Even they had been waiting months for this day to finally come.

After practicing the final song of the year ready for graduation all of them walked together to wait for the results of Puck's geography re-sit. Puck paced nervously in the hallway outside the classroom, in danger of hyperventilating. What if he hadn't done it? What if Quinn's special brand of tutoring hadn't unleashed the answers that were stored away in his brain? What if….the door to the classroom opened, slowly. Rachel was the first there to pounce on the teacher. Puck pushed her aside and snatched his test paper. He took a few steps away from everyone and held the paper to his chest, too afraid to look. This would be it. Make or break. Graduate high school or be a Lima Loser forever. He took a deep breath and slowly brought the paper up to see. He wanted to make his eyes open but they wouldn't obey. Deep breath. Just do it. Then he looked. And he couldn't believe what he saw. Oh. My. God. A B-. B-! He'd never got a B- before in his life. Ever!

Puck's face lit up as he spun back to face all of his friends. He held the paper above his head triumphantly. "B-," he said excitedly. "That's a Puckerman A+. I'm graduating," he cried.

Quinn was the first to congratulate him. "I'm so proud of you," she murmured into his ear as they hugged tightly just before they were engulfed in a huge group hug.

"Do you think you might want to take a room mate to New Haven?" Puck asked Quinn very quietly as the rest of the team dispersed. "I know your mom rented you an apartment, I saw the papers on your desk the other night," he admitted.

"What do you mean _on _my desk?" Quinn laughed. "They were _in _the drawer," she said with a smile.

"Well, I might have taken a quick look through your drawers when you fell asleep after," he shrugged instead of finishing what he was going to say, aware that a few of their friends were still in earshot.

"You were checking out my drawers, Puckerman?" Quinn grinned with an eyebrow raised high.

"Always," Puck replied, not even trying to hide his smile.

"That's ok," Quinn told him softly, "and I'd love to have a room mate. Are you sure though? I thought you were heading to LA?"

"Why would I want to go to LA when my girl is at the other end of the country?" Puck asked, his arms drawing Quinn close. Just as his head bent towards hers, lips almost touching he drew back sharply. "It is only one bedroom, right?" he asked. Quinn swatted his shoulder and laughed before pulling him back for a long, long kiss. This could be the start of something really, really good, and they both knew it.


End file.
